Calculus for Kids April 10, 2015 (Fridays)

This is a photo gallery for a math circle called Calculus for Kids, in Cary, NC. Math circles are informal groups where children, their families, and teachers explore math together. This session was our first introduction to making shapes out of shapes. Here are two pieces of supporting materials for the topic:

One-page Math Spark for building models.

One-page sheet with relevant terms

Calculus for Math Circle begins!

Ice breaking time:  Who are you? If you’re happy and you know it raise your hand… We take turns naming one thing we love, and whoever else loves it too – waves.

Bonk on the head to show whose turn it is to introduce themselves.

If Maria bonks everybody on the head, who bonks Maria on the head? All together now…

Julianne loves to draw.

Maya wants to make a 2-dimensional fan!

I want to make a pine cone in 3D shape!

An hour later, many different models of the cone:

Serrin making tree-trunk as a 3D cylinder using orange 1-dimensional felt.

Cylinders are popular: here they serve as legs for a future doll:

Let’s make a cylinder out of ourselves. Or is it a circle? It’s both, kids say: depending on how you look at it.

What kind of shape is this?  Triangle? Half-circle?

Maria pointing shapes she found in the backyard

How do we make a square?  Team building time. A square has 4 sides and 4 angles … “Let’s see, how many people do we have here? 1, 2,  … 8.  Okay, so a square has 4 sides if we divide by four that’s two people for each side.”

The group square is finally made! Smile!

We found another shape!  The table is made out of 2-dimensional glass circle! But it’s also a 3D cylinder, children say.

Here are the list of math words we collected from our creative craft makings on the board. Let’s see how the list growth from meeting to meeting.

A snail and a 3-dimensional diamond shape Lego block.

Making 3-dimensional pine cone with 1-dimensional pipe cleaners can’t possibly be this fun, right?